Apparatus for making ball point pens



July 28, 1959 B. J. CRAIG 2,896,250

' APPARATUS FOR MAKING BALL POINT PENS Filed Dec. 1, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "iii/I IN V EN TOR.

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APPARATUS FOR MAKING BALL POINT PENS Filed D90. 1, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 6 6 a i; r V

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United States Patent APPARATUS FOR MAKING BALL POINT PENS Burnie J. Craig, Pasadena, Calif.

Application December 1, 1954, Serial No. 472,415

4 Claims. (Cl. 185) This invention relates to a ball point pen and to methods and apparatus for making ball point pens.

The general object of the invention is to apply the principles of automation to the manufacture of ball point pens.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel apparatus for making a ball point pen ink holding cartridge.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel apparatus for making a system of ball point pen cartridges.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel apparatus for filling a ball point pen cartridge.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional View partly in elevation showing the invention;

Fig. 1 is an enlarged detail similar to Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the extruding die nozzle and associated parts;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail showing the crimping rollers;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail showing the plunger; and

V Fig. 5 is an end elevation showing the plunger.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, an apparatus embodying the features of the invention is shown in Fig. 1. As shown the apparatus includes a first station member 10, a second station member 11 and a third station member 12. Each of the station members includes a plurality of stations. The station member is mounted to rotate on a shaft 13 and is driven by means not shown so that the station member 10 moves through a rotary movement step-by-step and is held for an interval at the time of each step.

The station members 11 and 12 are mounted on the shafts 14 and 15, respectively, and these station members 11 and 12 are rotated step-by-step. Such step-bystep movement is old and well known and forms no part of the present invention.

The station member It), as shown, includes a plurality of stations which support work forming members 22. The work forming members form writing members or points 56 which include writing balls 52.

, Each member 56 after being formed passes downwardly into a hole 65 in the station member 11 where it enters a feed device 65'. The feed device 65' feeds points to holes 66 in the station member 11. In the holes 66 the points are held by spring tongues 67.

As the station member 11 rotates it will at each step present a point 56 above the bore 70 of an extruding member indicated generally at 71. The bore 70 is in the upper part 72 of the extruding member. The part 72 rests on a nozzle ring 73 which seats on an extruding die body 74. The nozzle ring includes apertures 75 through which plastic from a chamber 76 from a pipe 77 passes.

The extruding device includes a downwardly circumnew ferentially narrowing passage 78 which leads to an extruding orifice 79 through which the plastic will pass in the form of a thin walled tube T. From the orifice 79 the formed tube passes into a shaping and confining channel 80 which is surrounded by a housing 81. The housing 81 may be supplied with a coolant which may be supplied through pipes 82 and 83.

As the tube T is formed at the orifice 79 a point 56 which becomes the writing point of a pen is moved from engagement with the tongues 67 by engagement with the lower end 84 of a plunger '85. The plunger 85 works in a cylinder 86 and is raised by operation of a valve indicated generally at 87. A Valve 87 causes the plunger to be lowered. The lower end 84 of the plunger 85 has a diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of the end of the point 56. The plunger 85 passes through a hole 88 in a guide member 89.

In its upper position the lower end of the plunger is at a location just above the top of the table 11, as indicated in dotted lines as at 90, as indicated in Fig. l. The plunger is operated to move the points 56 periodically into the tube during the formation and progress of the tube. The pressure of the plastic being forced through the die will cause the tube T to be forced inwardly slightly as shown in Fig. 2. While the tube is thus forced inwardly the plunger moves a point into the constricted tube thus causing the point to spread the tube somewhat so that the point is gripped within the tube. The tube is advanced by suitable feed or advancing members 91 which advance the tube at a slightly greater speed than is its speed of discharge from the die orifice 79. As a result the tube is stretched as soon as it leaves the orifice 79 and just before it starts to be cooled or cured, and as the tube is stretched its diameter is reduced causing it to tightly grip the point 56 and as the tube sets it remains in tight gripping engagement with the point. The advancing tube T is provided with crimps 92 by a plurality of sets of crimping rolls 92. which periodically place crimps in the tube. Such crimping rolls are well known and details therefore are not shown.

In order to provide internal fluid pressure in the tube v T while it is being formed and is cooling or being cured and also in order to provide a charge of ink within the tube, the plunger is shown as provided with a plurality of conduits 93 and 94. The conduits terminate above the guide 89 and the conduit 94 is connected by a flexible tube 95 and through a valve 95 with a header 96. The header 96 communicates with pipes 97, 98 and 99, each of which may contain ink of a different color.

The pipes 97, 98 and 99 supply ink under pressure and each includes a control valve 100. Assuming that the upper pipe 97 supplies black ink and that the black ink is to be placed in the cartridge, the valves: 100 in the pipes 98 and 99 would be closed and the valve in pipe 97 would be opened. Opening of valve 95 would then cause ink to be forced through the conduit 94 and would discharge it against the inner end of the point 56. The valve 95 is a time valve and is operated to open position by engagement of a member on the plunger 85 with the valve operating member 106.

The plunger 85 moves slightly below the position shown in Fig. l, to thereby lower the point 56 into the tube T while the tube advances in the channel 80 and while pressure of ink within the tube prevents deformation of the tube. As soon as a desired amount of ink for a single cartridge has been placed in the tube T the time valve 95* will close and such closing will rock an arm 106 and the arm 106 will in turn rock an arm 106' to open a valve 107.

The valve 107 communicates with a pipe 108 which is connected to a suitable source of viscous material. This 3 viscous material may be ground bentonite in mineral oil and is conveyed from the pipe 108 through the valve 107 and through a flexible pipe 109 to the conduit 93 previously mentioned. The valve 107--a time valveopens just as the valve 100 has closed and the valve feed members 91 the valve 87 will quickly lift the plunger- 85 to clear the table 11. As the plunger raises the member 105 thereon will rock an arm 110 and the arm 110 will set time valve 87. The table will quickly move one step and the plunger 85 will then be caused by the time valve 87 to move downwardly to move a fresh point into the tube T.

Thus it will be seen that a system of connected, filled cartridges will be provided.

The tube T as it is advanced by the feed device 91 becomes, as explained above, a system of, connected, filled ball-point pen cartridges. These cartridges as shown in the accompanying drawings, may be severed individually by a cut-oif mechanism of suitable character. Such cutolf mechanism is well known. It may include a rotary cutting member 111 mounted on a shaft 112 with the shaft mounted on a carriage 113 and with the carriage mounted to move vertically on a rack 114 and mounted to move horizontally on a rack 115. The cutting member moves at the same speed as that of the tube T and thus a plane cut is made. The particular type of cut-elf device forms no part of the present invention.

After each cartridge is severed it may be advanced into a pen assembly mechanism which is provided by the station member 12.

The station member 12, as shown, includes a station 12 which has a hole adapted to receive a pen barrel 121. The barrel 121 will be disposed beneath the cartridge which is to be cut off by the cut-off member 111. The cut-01f cartridge will therefore drop into the barrel as shown. 7

From station 12*, the barrel with its contained cartridge will be moved to station 12. At station 12 a hopper 140 (see Fig. 1) for pen caps 141 is provided. The cap 141 may be provided with suitable cartridge and point retracting means which forms no part of the present invention. The caps 141 are fed from the hopper 140 by suitable feed means 142 which forms no part of the present' invention. The caps are guided by a suitable member 143 so that they are correctly positioned with respect to the barrel 121. When the caps are thus positioned they are spun by suitable members 144 so that the threaded parts of the barrel and cap are brought into fully engaged position. Spinning devices which are shown diagrammatically at 144 are well known and the detailed construction of the spinner forms no part of the present invention.

Instead of extruding a tube with a point therein and simultaneously filling the tube with ink, I may omit the filling step and make only empty cartridges. In this case compressed fluid such as compressed air may be run through the flexible tube 95 to provide internal pressure within the tube T should such internal pressure be required when certain plastics are used to make the tube T.

The tube T may be made of polyethylene, nylon, Koroseal, Buna-N or natural rubber or similar material.

It will be understood that instead of making the points at station 10, previously formed points may be supplied to the hopper 65. t

It will be understood that instead of severing the cartridges as soon as they are formed the cartridges may 4 be stored or shipped while a large number of them are connected together in the system as described.

Should it be desired to remove air from the tube as the ink enters the tube, the plunger may have a conduit 94 which is connected to a vacuum source and which is controlled automatically by a valve 94 which may be a time valve.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. An apparatus for making a ball point pen cartridge comprising an extruding member including a central part having a bore therethrough, said bore being adapted to receive a writing point, means about said central part to form an orifice through which material is extruded to form a tube, a plunger movable to engage a point in said bore and to move the point to a location where the point may be engaged by the inner surface of the extruded material as it passes through the orifice so that the point is engaged within the tube, feed members engaging the tube to advance the tube, said plunger having a conduit therein, said conduit being open at the lower end of the plunger, a source of ink, a pipe connecting said source of ink and said conduit so that the ink is supplied to the interior of the tube, a valve for said pipe, and means to repeat the operation of forming a tube, inserting a point into the tube, and inserting a supply of ink into the tube to provide an advancing system of cartridges.

2. An apparatus for making a ball point pen cartridge comprising an extruding member including a central part having a bore therethrough, said bore being adapted to receive a writing point, means about said central part to form an orifice through which material is extruded to form a tube, a plunger movable to engage a point in said bore and to move the point to a location where the point may be engaged by the inner surface of the extruded material as it passes through the orifice so that the point is engaged within the tube, weed members engaging the tube to advance the tube, said plunger having a plurality of spaced conduits therein, each of said conduits being open at the lower end of the plunger, a source of ink, a pipe connecting said source of ink and one of said conduits so that the ink is supplied to the interior of the tube, a valve for said pipe, a source of viscous follower forming material, a second pipe connecting said source of viscous material and another of said plunger conduits, and means to repeat the operation of forming a tube, inserting a point into the tube, inserting a supply of ink into the tube and inserting a viscous follower into the tube to provide an advancing system of cartridges.

3. An apparatus for making a ball point pen cartridge comprising an extruding member including a central part having a bore therethrough and having a wall portion about said central part to form an orifice through which material is extruded to form a tube, releasable point supporting means in said bore, a plunger movable to engage a point in said bore, means to actuate the plunger to move the point to a location where the point may be engaged by the inner surface of the extruded material as it passes through the orifice so that the point is engaged within the tube, a shaping and confining channelled housing receiving the formed tube, feed members engaging the tube to advance the tube, said plunger having a plurality of spaced conduits therein, each of said conduits being open at the lower end of the plunger, 21 source of ink, a pipe connecting said source of ink and one of said conduits so that the ink is supplied to the interior of the tube, a valve for said pipe, a source of viscous follower forming material, a second pipe connecting said source of viscous material and another of said plunger conduits, a valve in said last mentioned pipe, means controlling flo'w of ink through said first pipe, second valve means operable after the first time valve means has closed for controlling flow of viscous material through said second pipe to supply follower material to the tube.

4. An apparatus for making a ball point pen cartridge comprising an extruding member including a central part posed about said central part, said extruding member having a downwardly circumferentially narrowing wall, said central part being downwardly tapered in spaced relation to the said wall to form an orifice through which the extruded material passes to form a tube, releasable point supporting means aligned -with said bore, a plunger movable to engage a point in said bore, means to actuate the plunger to move the point to a location where the point may be engaged by the inner surface of the extruded material as it passes through the orifice so that the point is engaged within the tube, a shaping and confining channelled housing receiving the formed tube, feed members engaging the tube to advance the tube, said plunger having a plurality of spaced conduits therein, each of said conduits being open at the lower end of the plunger, a header member for ink, a plurality of pipes connecting said ink header member and one of said conduits to supply ink to the interior of the tube, a valve for each of said pipes, a source of viscous follower forming material, a pipe connecting said source of viscous material and another of said plunger conduits, a valve in said last mentioned pipe, a bleed conduit connected to another of said plunger conduits, time valve means controlling flow of ink through said plurality of pipes, second time valve means operable after the first time valve means has closed for controlling flow of viscous material through said other of said pipes to supply follower material to the tube, means to repeat the operation 6 of inserting a point into the tube, inserting a supply of ink into the tube and inserting a follower into the tube to provide an advancing system of cartridges, and cutting means to sever the leading cartridges one at a. time from the system at a location in the rear of each follower.

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